Author: I Live for Food & Travel

We chocoholics like to believe that chocolate is a health food since it comes from roasted cacao beans, and therefore a vegetable. We hold on to recent studies that tell us chocolate has antidepressant compounds and amino acids linked to mood-lifting chemicals in the brain.

Osaka is a foodie paradise. Our recent June 2018 trip was all about sampling this vibrant city’s gustatory delights. We didn’t even have to venture far from our Namba airbnb rental. The Dotonburi/Shinsaibashi area is dotted with a variety of culinary options.

Gathering a large group for a meal can be challenging.
People coming from different locations are inevitably held by Metro Manila traffic, and arrive at different times. Everyone has his own food preferences, and some are on diets — no carbs, no meat, high-protein, vegan, vegetarian. Ordering a la carte and trying to cater to everyone can be difficult.

With the horrible traffic jams within Metro Manila, one tends to avoid out-of-the-way restaurants. However, I happily make exceptions for gems like My Kitchen at The Oasis.
My Kitchen is in the little-known Oasis Park Hotel tucked into the curving narrow Belen street in Manila. It may as well be in Timbuktu, if you live in Quezon City and work in Pasig City, given the infuriating traffic jams around the metropolis! Yet for more than a couple of special occasions, we have chosen to celebrate here.

Cafe Via Mare is a Filipino restaurant that’s been thriving in the Philippines since the 80s. Operated by Glenda Barretto, the well regarded restaurateur who started Via Mare as a seafood specialty restaurant in the 70s, Via Mare expanded to a chain of coffeeshops to satisfy casual diners who want a more relaxed atmosphere to enjoy Filipino food.